ADA Releases Six Things to Know About Your Tots' Teeth

CHICAGO, Jan. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Dental Association (ADA) has created an essential list of "tooth-truths" to help parents and caregivers stay in the know about the health of their children's teeth.

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7736453-american-dental-association-baby-teeth

1. When Teeth First Appear Your baby is born with 20 teeth below the gums, and they usually start coming through between six months and a year. Most children have their full set of teeth by three years old. 
2. When to Start Brushing with Toothpaste Decay can happen as soon as teeth first appear. If you see some pearly whites peeking out when your little one smiles, it's time to pick up a tube of fluoride toothpaste. Find one with the ADA Seal of Acceptance.
3. How Much Toothpaste to Use It doesn't take much to clean your child's teeth. Until you're comfortable that your child can brush on his or her own, continue to brush your child's teeth twice a day with a child-size toothbrush. If your child is three or younger, use a smear of toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice). For children three or older, a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste will do.
4. When to Schedule Your Baby's First Dental Visit It's another milestone in a year of exciting firsts. Your child's first dental visit should take place after their first tooth appears, but no later than the first birthday. Why so early? As soon as your baby has teeth, they can get cavities. 
5. When to Start Flossing It doesn't matter if you floss your child's teeth before or after they brush as long as you clean between any teeth that touch. You can use child-friendly plastic flossing tools to more easily floss your child's teeth until your child learns to do it.
6. Water Works When your child has worked up a thirst, water is the best beverage to offer – especially if it has fluoride! Drinking water with fluoride (also known as "nature's cavity fighter") has been shown to reduce cavities by 25 percent.

For more tips for keeping kids' mouths healthy, visit MouthHealthyKids.org.

Editor's Note: Reporters are invited to follow the ADA on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 161,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

Contact:
Natalie Matthews
[email protected]
312.440.2806

SOURCE American Dental Association

Related Links

http://www.ada.org